The Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) has joined forces with a number of top UK companies and industry associations to collectively develop an apprenticeship standard for the role of Land-Based Engineering Technician.

The Institution has signed up to the second phase of the Government’s Trailblazer apprenticeship initiative, which is being developed by the Land-based Engineering Education and Training Committee (LETEC), which along with IAgrE includes, the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) and the British Agriculture and Garden Machinery Association (BAGMA).

Together they will work with employers and machinery dealers, such as CLAAS UK Ltd, Toro, Kubota (UK), AGCO Ltd, Ransomes Jacobson, John Deere and Case New Holland, to develop this new trailblazer apprenticeship.

Alastair Taylor, chair of LETEC and CEO of IAgrE said, “We are really excited about this opportunity and look forward to working in partnership with industry, employers and professional bodies to design the new apprenticeship standards.

"This new approach truly puts employers and industry in the driving seat and will build upon the great work we have been doing to establish a single voice for the training of land-based engineering technicians.”

The group is proposing that the Landbased Technician Accreditation Scheme (LTA) forms the basis of the Land-based Engineering Technician Trailblazer apprenticeship. The LTA scheme is administered by IAgrE who facilitates the registration of suitably qualified technicians as Engineering Technicians (EngTech) with the Engineering Council (UK).

“Registration as EngTech is about promoting professionalism, helping the work-force to feel proud to be employed as a technician, and reassuring the customer that they are benefiting from a well trained and qualified professional”, he added.

The industry itself launched the ground-breaking Landbased Technicians Accreditation (LTA) scheme in 2007. Its aim is to establish a clear career path for technicians through the achievement of four qualification levels defined as Entry (LTA 1), Standard (LTA 2), Advanced (LTA 3) and Master (LTA 4).

To date, dealership technicians achieving LTA qualifications have done so by undertaking training courses largely provided by the main tractor and machinery franchises. An independent LTA route is available for those working with non-franchised dealers.